[Shortage of medical care in East Germany?]

Before the political change took place in the autumn of 1989, there had hardly been any discussions in the former German Democratic Republic regarding the emergency situation in hospitals in respect of patient care (shortage of nurses, funds, and equipment). However, available analyses prove that many problems were already well known. Not only has the lack of nurses been a severe obstacle to humane care, but the fundamental material prerequisites have also been lacking. Comprehensive changes are imperative to create conditions in all hospitals that will ensure that the hospital staff can look after their patients with maximum efficiency and dispatch to promote speedy patient recovery.